Exhaust-valve-control attachment for explosive motors



July 21, 19.25. H 1,547,130

J. "r. ROBINSON EXHAUST VALVE CONTROL ATTACHMENT FOR EXPLOSIVE MOTORS Filed June 17, 1922 gnvenloz Jessa ZiPaa/wom Patented July 21, 1925. 7

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JESSE T. ROBINSON, OF BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA, ASSIGNOR 0F ONE-THIRD TO K. M. I

GASSMAN, 0F BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA. I

EXHAUST-VALVE-CONTROL ATTACHMENT FOR EXPLOSIVE Application filed June 17, 1922. Serial No. 569,037.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, Jmsn T. ROBINSON, a citizen of the. United States of America, residing at Birmingham, in the county of Jefierson and State of Alabama, have invented certain newand useful Improvements in Exhaust-Valve Control Attachments for Explosive Motors, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a means for enabling the driver of an automobile at will to control the exhaust valves of his engine so that they may be held open when it is desired to run the engine without compression.

In driving an automobile conditions are frequently occurring in which it would be desirable if the motor could be left in gear to serve as a brake, except for the fact that by so doing one must either leave the spark on with the engine firing, which involves an appreciable wastage of gasoline and an increased load on the brakes, or one must throw oil the spark whereupon the continued suction of the engine will fill the cylinders and often the crank case with gasoline, causing back firing, damage to the mufller, and serious danger to setting the car on fire. Moreover, if one attempts to coast he must either throw the gears into neutral, which makes it necessary to practically bring the car to a stop before the gears can be again engaged; or he can disengage the clutch and leave his engine running with resultant waste of gasoline; or he can cut off his spark which requires that the engine be again cranked when he desires to throw hisclutch back in which involves stopping the car and operating the starter, as to utilize the momentum of the car with the clutch engaged to start theengine is objectionable practice.

- Furthermore, any attempt to cool the engine according to present practice involves a loss of gas and a cooling responsive only to the back andjforth flow of air through the exhaust ports, as the butterfly valve under such conditions will stand practically closed so that the engine can take no appreciable amount of air through the carburetor. If it be attempted, in order to save gas to shut off the motor, then the pump and fan will also sto and the cooling action practically ceases.

11 view of these conditions, I have conceived if a simple, practical, comparatively inexpen'sive, and easily installed appliance can be devised by means of which the motor .can be used as a brake or speed governor without any ofthe'attendant disadvantages above referred to, and operated atwill without compression or suctionso as to efi'ect great economy in the consumption of gasoine, that a marked advance would result in the operation'of automobile engines.

My invention, briefly described, consists in the provision of a simple means for setting the exhaust valves in open position and holding them in this position so long as it is desired to use the motor as a brake, or while it is desired to cool the engine. Under such operating conditions the motor will have practically no compression or suction, hence it will draw in no gas and the spark can be left on without..appreciable waste of gas by firing or accumulation in the cylinder. Also the engine will take in some air through its exhaust ports to cool it, while at the same time it has the full benefitof the operation of both the fan and pump as cool- 7 1n agencies.

y invention further comprises what I' consider the preferred arrangements of details by means of whichrthe exhaust valve latch mechanism can be most conveniently operated, this referably being done by an electrical appliance controlled from the steering Wheel.

M invention further comprises the novel details of construction and arrangements of parts, which are hereinafter more particularly described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings which illustrate the preferred embodiment of my invention, and in which Fig. l is a vertical cross-sectional view broken away, taken through the valve chamber of a typical internal combustion engine for use on automobiles, the view showing the dash in cross-section with the electrical circuit connections to the steering wheel which is shown partly in cross-section and partly in elevation.

Figs. 2 and 3 are detail views taken on the lines 2-2 and 3-3 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 4 is a detail vertical sectional view of the ratchet controlled cam for the latchactuator bar.

Similar reference numerals refer to similar parts throughout the drawings.

I have illustrated my invention in connection with a conventional showing ofpart of with a loop 17 at its lower end which receives tion a ,solenoid 28 r in its lowered position.

an internal combustion engine 1 having a valve chamber 2 through which the stems 3 ofthe exhaust valves 4 and the stems 5 for the inlet valves 6 pass. These several stems are engaged at their lower ends by the usual tappets bearing a roller 7 engaging each its respective cam 8 on the engine cam shaft 9. My invention involves no change in the construction of the parts as thus far described and the showing is typical of any standard valve arrangement.

Each exhaust valve stem 3 has keyed thereon a spring seat 10 between which and the upper wall of the valve chamberas interposed a compression spring 11 which tends normally to hold its respective valve seated. I make the under side of each of these spring seats 10 dished by providing an annular bevelled face 12, and adjacent to each exhaust valve a swinging latch arm 13 is pivotally. mounted on a stud or pin 14 fast in the wall or any desired part of the valve chamber. Each latch is free to swing so that its detent 15 can engage under its respective stop formed by the adjacent spring seat 10. Each latch has attached thereto or is engaged by a flat spring 16 which is provided a pin 18 fast on a sliding actuator bar 19 that is reciprocable in bushings 20 mounted in any suitable wall portion of the valve chamber. Each latch has, below its detent, an elongated guide face 21 which will engage its respective stop 10 when the latter is One end of the latch actuator bar 19 projects without the valve chamber towards the dash 22 and is provided with a roller or like antifriction member 23 which engages and is controlled by a cam 24. This cam is mounted upon a horizontal axis 25 in the frame 26, which is attached to the dash and has a vertical extension 27 on which is suitably mounted in upright posihaving a core 29 connected to, or integral with, a stem 30, whichworks in a guide 31 on the bracket extension 27, and wlnch at itslower end is connected by a chain or belt 32 to a disk 33 which carries one or more spring-pressed pawls 34 which engage a ratchet wheel 35 having four equally spaced teeth and mounted fast on the cam. A coil spring 36 is mounted on the axis 25 and connected to the disk 33 and serves to retract it to initial position, controlled by the guide 31 serving as a stop for the chain, as soon as the solenoid core is released. I show a battery 37 having a circuit 38 connected to a ground and a circuit 39 leading up the steering post 40 to a switch 41 on the steering wheel 42, thence the'current continues over circuit 43 to the solenoid 28 and returns by ground at 45 to the battery.

When the switch 41 is closed the solenoid is energized, the core 29 is sucked upwardly and the pawl bearing disk is given a full carrying with it the cam pawls 34 and the wheel 35, cam 24 is thus iven about a 90 rotation. It will be observe that the cam is what may be termed a double acting symmetrical cam as both ends thereof are alike and each comprises a roller seat 46, so disposed with reference to the cam axis as to hold the actuator 19 shifted to its extreme position to the right, and with a second cam seat 47 which,

when in engagement with the roller, permits the actuator 19 to assume its extreme position to the left. A coilspring 48 engages a collar 49 on the actuator 19 and tends always to urge the actuator towards the cam. \Vhcn the cam 24 is shifted to thrust the actuator 19 to the right, the springs 16 are moved by the pins 18 so as to press the latch ends 21 against the adjacent spring seats or stops 10 on the exhaust valve stems and upon the next lifting of each exhaust valve its stop 10 is raised above the latch detent 15 and the latter snaps into position under it, thereby holding its respective exhaust valve open against the action of its compression spring 11. When the cam 24 is given its next forward quarter turn, the actuator shifts into a seat 47 and the spring 48 thrusts the latch actuator bar 19 to the left and through its connections to the latches 15 it acts to disengage the latches from their respective stops 10 so that theexhaust valves are free to close responsive to their springs 11. The next quarter turn of the cam 24 again forces the latches into operative position and the next quarter turn again releases them. As each operation of the switch 41 serves only to move the cam a quarter turn, it follows, in the operation of my device, assuming that the latches are in their inoperative position, that should it be desired torun the motor with the exhaust valves held open, the switch is operated, the solenoid energized, the cam given a quarter turn, and all latches are moved towards operative position in which they will catch their respective exhaust valves as the latter are lifted and will hold them wide open so long as the driver desires. As soon as it is desired to release the valves, the switch is again operated, the cam given a quarter turn, the latch actuator bar shifted to the left responsive to its spring 48, and the several latches are forced towards disengaged position permitting the exhaust valves as successively lifted to drop and restore compression in the next cycle.

My reason for tion between the latch actuator bar and the several latches is that the latches cannot be simultaneously engaged and it is not desirable that the movement of the latch actuator bar to the left should result in the simultaneous release of the several exhaust valves, but rather that it should put the springs 16 under tension which, when the providing a spring conneclatch steps of their respective valve rods are next lifted, the springs 16 can snap the latches out of the path of the stops and re store the valve in their proper and respective order to the control of the cams 8.

It is to be understood that there may be various other arrangements both for the manipulation and control by electrical or mechanical means of the latches or equivalent holders and various changes in the de sign of the holders themselves, the essential feature of my invention being the revision of a remote control means for catc ing and holding the exhaust valves in open position, said means contemplating the use 0 the engine cam shaft itself to lift the exhaust valves into position to be engaged by the holding devices and to control their successive release from said devices.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is g 1. In combination with the exhaust valves of an automobile explosive motor, a plurality of independently operable catch means each adapted to engage and hold an exhaust valve open, and yieldable means, operable -by a common actuator, tending to move said several catch means simultaneously to engage or release the exhaust valves.

2. In combination with the exhaust valves of an automobile explosive motor and their operating cams, a plurality of catches, each adapted to engage and hold its respective exhaust valve 0' en, and a cam controlled spring means a apted, responsive to action of the engine cams, to cause said catches to release or engage said valves successively.

3. In combination with the exhaust valves of an automobile explosive motor, catch mechanism adapted to engage and hold the exhaust valves open, and means to move said catch mechanism to engage and release the exhaust valves, said means comprising anactuator for the several catches, and spring connections for controlling the catches from said actuator. V r

4. In combination with the exhaust valves of an automobile explosive motor, catch mechanism adapted to engage and hold the exhaust valves open, and means to move said catch mechanism to engage and release the exhaust valves, said means comprising an ac-' tuator for the several catches and spring connections for controlling the catches from the actuator in combination with remote control means for reciprocating said actuator. i

5. In. combination with the exhaust valves of an automobile explosive motor, a catch disposed adjacent to each exhaust valve stem, a catch engaging member on said valve stem adapted to be engaged and held by the catch when the valve is in its raised position, and

actuating means to release said catches sclectively.

6. In combination with the exhaust valves of an automobile explosive motor, a catch disposed adjacent to each exhaust valve stem, a catch stop on said valve stem adapted to be engaged by the catch when the valve is raised, and non-rigid actuating means to move said catches towards and from their olperatlng position, said catch stops being s aped to hold the catch in its engaged POSI- tion a ainst the action of said means until the va Va is raised.

7. Inan automobile explosive motor, the

combination with cam operated ta pets to move the valves and a catch stop, 0 a catch for each exhaust valve movable into position to engage under each stop when raised and to hold its respective valve open'against the action of its compression spring, and a catch actuator means adapted responsive to said cams to trip the catches and release the n valves.

8. In an automobile explosive motor, the combination with exhaust valves having compression springs and cam actuators to operate the valves, of a catch stop on each exhaust, valve, a catch movable into position i to engage under said step and hold the valve open against the action of its compression spring, and an actuator means adapted to trip the catches and release the valves, said actuator means comprising a reciprocable bar, spring connections from the bar to each catch,.and means to reciprocate the bar.

9. In an automobile explosive motor, the combination with exhaust valves having compression springs and cam actuators to operate the valves, of a catch sto on each exhaust valve, a catch movable into position to engage under said stop and hold the valve open against the action of its compression spring, and an actuator means adapted to trip the catches and release the valves, said actuator means comprising a reciprocable bar, spring connections from the bar to each catch, and means to reciprocate the bar, comprising a spring urging the bar in one direction and a controller cam adapted to move the bar in the opposite direction.

10. In combination with the exhaust valves of an automobile explosive motor, catch stops on said valve stems, catches adapted to engage said stops and hold the valves in their open position, a reciprocable actuator bar carrying means to throw the catches into and out of operating position, spring means to urge said bar in one direction, and cam means to force the bar in the opposite direction. 7 11. Incombination with the exhaust valves of an automobile explosive motor, stops on said valve stems, catches adapted ator bar carryin means stops on said valve stems,

to engage said stops and hold said valves in their open position, a reciprocable actuto throw the catches into and out 0 engage said stops and hold the valves in their open position, a

bar carrying means to throw the latches operating position, ,spring means to urge said bar in one direction,

latches adapted to rcciprocable actuator into and out of o crating positions, spring means to urge sai bar in one direction, cam means to force the bar in the opposite direction, said cam means being of the compound symmetrical type adapted to reciprocate said rod back or forth with each quarter turn, and a magnetically operated ratchet "means to advance said cam a quarter turn each time it is energized.

, In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

JESSE T. ROBINSON.

Witness:

NOMIE WELsH. 

